Of Blood And Tears
by Demon Vampyre Goddess
Summary: Wufei never seemed to like Duo. At all. But what happens after a mission gone wrong and he finds out that they're not as different as he thought they were?...(2x5 pairing) *Final Chapter up!*
1. Default Chapter

Of Blood and Tears  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Gundam Wing (unfortunately.*sigh*), they all belong to Sunrise and all those other important people that -do- own anything related to Gundam Wing.  
  
Warning (Just because): Language, angst, and eventual 2x5 pairing. (Yes, I'm a fan of shoujen-ai).  
  
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***  
  
"I am -not- going with Maxwell! I work alone on my missions!" The irritated Chinese boy argued as he glowered darkly into the stoic face of the person he was fighting with. "You're the one who usually goes with the braided fool anyways, Heero."  
  
"Not this time, Wufei." Heero's cobalt eyes flashed slightly in annoyance, but it wasn't noticeable, he was always expressionless. "I'm taking care of another mission with Quatre and Trowa. So that means you have got to partner with Duo on this one."  
  
Wufei growled something inaudibly, but before he could start complaining the Gundam pilot being discussed came bounding into the room happily, his long chestnut braid flickering behind like a whip.  
  
"Wu-man! Isn't this great! Q just told me that we're gonna be workin' together!" Duo grinned widely, not even taking heed to the obvious tension between the two other pilots. "Least you're gonna be better then Heero here, you at least -talk- sometimes instead of sitting around working on a laptop 24/7."  
  
"Why have to talk when you never-" Wufei began but Duo had already moved on to the next thing and was heading out of the room to prepare for their mission. Temporarily lost for words, his look most have been comical as he watched Duo's retreating back because Heero snorted in an attempt to mask a near snicker.  
  
"Hn.Have fun." The corners of Heero's lips twitched slightly as he turned around and left also.  
  
"Tch, this is going to be the death of me," Wufei sighed, shaking his head and following suit.  
  
***  
  
The plan for Duo and Wufei was destroying an OZ base. Their hideout the two would be staying in for a few days to lay low in the aftermath before rejoining with the others was cloaked in dense forestry. They were supposed in infiltrate the base and dislodge the information stores first, then get rid of the evidence by blowing the base up. No Gundams were going to be used; it was all going to be manual.  
  
The morning after Wufei's argument with Heero, everything was set to go, he was double checking all the supplies and making sure all their affairs were in order, when he realized the one major objective he was missing.that Duo was still sleeping. Muttering about the injustice of this mission, Wufei stalked back into the safe house and up stairs to the American's room, kicking his door in. Duo was a twisted mess of limbs entangled with covers, the only way to tell it was actually human was the long trail of brown hair that hung off the edge of the middle of the bed.  
  
"Maxwell! Get up, it's time to go!" he growled, only getting a soft snore in response. Wufei took hold of the end of the mattress and easily flipped it up, sending Duo falling onto the floor on his head, which definitely woke him up.  
  
"Damn it! Why the hell did you have to do that for?! I was gettin' up! Geez." A long tangent of swearing followed as he disentangled himself, rubbing the top of his head gingerly and glaring at the Chinese pilot as he replaced the mattress back in its place.  
  
"Hurry up or we'll get behind schedule!" Wufei said tersely and went out.  
  
A few minutes later, Duo slouched into the garage tiredly and rubber banding the end of his hair as he climbed into the passenger side of their stolen truck. "Let's go."  
  
"Took you long enough," Wufei muttered as he started up the truck and drove out to the road.  
  
"It's way too early in the morning for any of your bullshit, Fei." he groaned, putting his seatbelt on. "I mean seriously! Look out at the sky! The stars are still out! Damn."  
  
"For someone who's so tired, you sure are talking a lot." Wufei grumbled.  
  
"Whatever." Duo yawned and situated himself into a comfortable position, which was nearly impossible with the butt of his gun digging into his spine, yet managed to go back to sleep.  
  
'Finally.Silence.' Wufei thought with relief and took out the map to their hideout. The hideout was about a good twelve hours' drive deep in the mountainous forest wilderness, lots of seclusion and the perfect place to keep an OZ base. He blanched at the idea of being cooped up in the truck with Duo for twelve hours, but the braided American would probably sleep the entire time if he let him, which was exactly what he was going to do. Of course he couldn't help if Duo woke up on his own accord either. Luckily, he didn't stir in the slightest for almost the whole ride, there were only three hours left of the drive when he did.  
  
"*yawn* Uhhh.how long did I conk out for?" Duo winced, adjusting his gun holster.  
  
"Not long enough," Wufei said pointedly, glancing at the clock on the dashboard. "About nine hours."  
  
"Huh.well at least you didn't try to kill me," he grinned jokingly.  
  
"Trust me, it took a lot of willpower not to." he replied darkly, briefly scowling at him before returning his gaze to the road.  
  
"I was only kidding, damn. Lighten up a bit, will you?" Duo sighed at the unlikeness of that happening. Not being dignified with a response, there was an uneasy stillness and he fidgeted restlessly. "So how long 'til me get there? Can't be too much longer, can it?"  
  
"Thankfully not."  
  
"Don't sound so excited." Duo griped and played with the radio knobs, trying to find a decent music station to listen to.  
  
'How does Heero put up with his maddening, incessant chattering and constant movement?' Wufei thought exasperatingly as Duo, satisfied with whatever station found, turned up the volume.  
  
//Another dream that will never come true/Just to compliment your sorrow/Another life I've taken from you/A gift to add to your pain and suffering/Another truth you can never believe/Has crippled you completely/All the cries you're beginning to hear/Trapped in your mind, the sound is deafening// [1]  
  
"Uhh, how about something else, eh?" Duo said uneasily, the opening lyrics were unnerving. It made him think of all the people who have been killed in the war, and the unknown amount that he and Wufei will probably massacre at the OZ base within the next day or two.  
  
"Yes, please turn this noise off."  
  
Duo paused but turned it off and went to making unnecessary adjustments to his gun, taking the silencer off and putting it back on and what not. Expecting for him to begin talking away, Wufei looked over at the remarkably quiet Duo and was surprised to see uncharacteristic lost in thought and sadness in his violet eyes.  
  
The last bit of the ride was in silence again.  
  
***  
  
[1]An excerpt from 'Prayer' by Disturbed. I heard that song for the first time and thought 'Gundam Wing', so I just had to find some way to work it into the plot of this story. ^^ 


	2. Chapter 2

***  
  
The hideout was a small log cabin that had been long abandoned by its holiday occupants. It was about a good four miles away from the base and couldn't be seen, not even if someone was doing a low fly-by of the surrounding area. The inside actually wasn't so shabby, having been kept up by the occasional hiker (Or OZ officer is what the two pilots guessed, because Wufei immediately started to set up a radar deflector on the cabin). Duo appeared to have reverted right back to his usual self, as if his being subdued in thought in the truck hadn't happened.  
  
"So what's gonna be our plan of attack here?" Duo asked as he watched, sprawled out on a musty couch, the Chinese pilot finish setting up the radar deflectors.  
  
"You get to do all the dirty work," Wufei smirked slightly.  
  
"Man, I always do the dirty work."  
  
"Then it won't be a problem, now will it? So stop complaining."  
  
"But-" Duo broke off as he got glared at and stuck his tongue out. "Bastard."  
  
"Damn straight."  
  
"Is that the Great Fei having a sense of humor?"  
  
"Maxwell." Wufei began threateningly, narrowing his onyx eyes.  
  
"I'm shuttin' up..."  
  
"Good. Now, we're going in at midnight tonight, when it's not as likely that there will be a lot of people on the premises," he continued. "I'll get into the control center to shut down the security systems so you won't have too much difficulty in getting to the information stores facility."  
  
"Then I take it all from there. Got everything I need already and we'll rendezvous at the south quadrant exit," Duo finished. "Then hightail our asses back here."  
  
"Er- right." Wufei arched an eyebrow and the braided boy grinned.  
  
"I really -was- paying attention ya know when we went over this like five million times back at the safe house, despite my seemingly lack of interest," he winked.  
  
"I knew that, I was just making sure," Wufei puffed up indignantly. "I don't want any mistakes tonight."  
  
"Oh boy, here it comes- If there's any screw ups, it's my fault.yeah, I know that part already too." Duo rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Hell, you all seem to forget that bein' stealthy is one of my best qualities."  
  
"Yes, with your unceasing babble and vanity traits right up with it." Wufei added and went off to inspect the rest of the cabin. There was only one other room other than the bathroom and it was small, furnished only with a bed, a small oak nightstand with a dusty lamp beside it, and a large dusty oak chest full of quilted blankets. Quaint little tasseled rugs littered the floorboards through out the entire cabin, even though not many people had actually stayed in the place for very long, all in all it was fairly nice and homey.  
  
"This could be a problem."  
  
Wufei nearly jumped, he hadn't heard Duo get up from the couch and follow him into the room, but he quickly composed himself. "True."  
  
"Rock-paper-scissors? Winner gets the bed, loser gets the couch," Duo grinned.  
  
"That is childish," Wufei scoffed.  
  
"Well, we could always go with the fact that since I'm doin' the dirty work, I get the bed," he replied slyly.  
  
"Fine," Wufei shrugged.  
  
"What?" Duo blinked.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"Huh, alrighty, whatever floats your boat Wu-man," he threw his duffel bag onto the bed and promptly cast himself down along beside it.  
  
***  
  
There were two hours before midnight. Duo and Wufei set out from the log cabin at a running pace, it didn't take them too long to get to their destination. As they approached the compound, Wufei split off towards the right and his voice came crackling into Duo's ear on the transmitter.  
  
"Stay out here until you see the door open."  
  
"Roger that."  
  
Wufei pulled out a small device from his pocket along with his katana as he flitted from shadow to shadow along the walls of the building until he came to the door he was looking for. He placed the little object onto the ID card scanner and pressed a code on the keypad. The red light flashed momentarily then turned green and the door slid open with a soft hiss of air. Wufei cautiously peered into the corridor before going in, musing over the base layouts as he worked his way almost unhindered to the security control center. The poor guard didn't even hear him come into the room and was knocked out cold by Wufei's katana hilt. He pocketed the guard's code card, stashing the lifeless body into a nearby broom closet, and went to work on freezing the cameras and unlocking all the right doors.  
  
Outside, Duo sat crouched up against the smooth cement wall, impatiently waiting for the door at his right to open as he gripped his gun tightly. About ten minutes after Wufei's departure, he finally got his signal and went in without hesitation, automatically getting instructions from the transmitter in his ear.  
  
"Don't go playing around, will you Maxwell? Just stick to the objective and forewarn me before you set off the bomb."  
  
"Oh yeah, like I'm stupid enough to blow this place up while I'm still in it," Duo replied cynically as he broke into jog as he went down the hall. They had chosen the exact time to decide to bust into the base, like Wufei, Duo didn't run into anybody, not even when he got into information center. It turned out to be in one of the large scientists' laboratories; the huge mainframe nearly took up the entire wall. The keyboard was a good ten feet long, though it was separated with five different computer monitors. This job was going take a while.  
  
"Damn. No wonder you didn't wanna do the dirty work, Wu." Duo sighed as he sat at the first computer; his fingers dancing over the keys as code after code and file after file was easily hacked into and permanently deleted.  
  
"Will you stop talking and just get it over with?" Wufei grumbled and for a while there was nothing as Duo worked. Sitting in the control center, he went through the security footage and erased the part of him coming into the base, but once he did that, there really wasn't much else to do on his part until Duo was finished. Wufei unfroze the cameras in the laboratory to see the braided pilot's progress, because he knew if he said anything that would give him a reason to begin chattering again, which really wasn't what he wanted at the moment. But when he did, Wufei caught someone else other than Duo lurking in the room and with him so absorbed in his work on the third computer he wasn't going to-  
  
"Maxwell! Watch your back!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Behind you!"  
  
Duo spun away from the computer, whipping out his gun from its holster and training it on the man in a lab coat standing a mere two feet away, holding a stool up in mid-swing. The scientist was particularly young, and it looked like if Wufei hadn't so luckily warned Duo, he would've had his head bashed in by a metal stool.  
  
"You know you can really hurt people with those," Duo said amusedly, yet his violet eyes gleamed coldly with death. The man dropped the stool in shock but didn't run, he actually composed himself quite well and stuck his hands into his lab coat pockets. "Now, I can do this the nice way and just put you out of your misery now, or I could do it the mean way and incapacitate you first, then let you die the slow, painful death of blood loss after we blow this joint."  
  
"What's the point if I'm just going to die anyway?" The scientist asked wryly.  
  
Duo scowled, the guy was too pleased with himself for his own good, and it was starting to irritate him. Normally the guys go down on their hands and knees and beg mercy, but this was ridiculous! "Fine, I'll make this quick 'cause I have a job to finish." Duo cocked back the trigger release but the scientist suddenly lunged at him, catching him off guard, and the two went stumbling back into the keyboard of the mainframe. Duo felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and he swore loudly, shooting the man in the chest. He went limp and stopped moving as the pool of blood on the floor grew.  
  
"Maxwell?! What the hell is going on?"  
  
"Got it all under control, Fei. Damn egotistical scientists." He grunted as he kicked the dead man aside and touched his shoulder. 'Prolly gonna have a nice bruise there tomorrow morning,' Duo thought with a sigh as he sat back down, not noticing the emptied syringe on the floor that had been knocked out of his shoulder when he hit the computer.  
  
*** 


	3. Chapter 3

Heh, I went on a little writing spree, so you all have TWO, yes TWO!, new chapter to read. ^^;;  
  
Warning: Major angst ahead. Poor guys, and I haven't even gotten nearly as deep in angst as I want with this yet either.^^  
  
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***  
  
Wufei stood outside the south end entrance, he had fixed the security systems to unfreeze ten minutes after he left and already five of those moments had gone by and no Duo. But just as he was about to go in and see what the braided boy was doing, the door opened and he came out, rubbing his shoulder gingerly.  
  
"Hurry up, we've only a few minutes before everything turns back on. Where's the detonator?" Wufei demanded.  
  
"Don't worry, I've got it right here," Duo held up the slender hand-detonator to prove it. "Let's go so we can blow this place and get this over with."  
  
The two tore off into the woods and didn't stop until they were a good half-mile into it, there Duo slowed and popped the cover of the detonator open, pressing the button.  
  
The explosion rented the air violently and lit up the night sky with flames, smoking curling up to the heavens in thick tendrils of gray ribbon.  
  
"Mission accomplished!" Duo grinned, but the grin turned into a slight grimace.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing, just my shoulder. Hit it when the bastard jumped me, that's all," he said nonchalantly.  
  
The two started off again but before long though, Duo began to lag. He felt oddly lightheaded and as if someone were draining the strength right out of him with every running step he took. Finally, he just had to stop, his lungs burned and it hurt to breathe, he felt like he was on fire.  
  
"Wufei- Hold up a sec will you?" Duo wheezed, his legs turning to jelly as he halted unsteadily and plopped onto the ground.  
  
"Are you -that- out of shape, Maxwell." Wufei trailed off as he saw that there was something seriously wrong. He knelt down beside Duo and at closer inspection, the braided pilot looked absolutely horrible. He was way too pale; an ice cold sweat had broken out on his forehead even though his face felt like it could melt a diamond in an instant. "Come on, I'll help you up, we've got to get you back to the cabin," Wufei said almost worriedly, slinging Duo's uninjured arm around his shoulders, but as he hauled him to his feet, his violet eyes went glassy. Definitely not a good sign.  
  
"Duo? Duo, you've got to stay with me here." No response, he didn't even stir at being called by his first name. Their current position just wasn't going to work for the remaining mile or more left to the cabin so after a brief consideration of their situation, Wufei scooped him up like a sleeping child with one arm wrapped around his back and the other under the crooks of his knees. Duo was surprising light for his size and build, though it was a bit awkward to go any faster than a brisk walking pace with him curled up almost in a ball, but Wufei tried going as fast as he could because Duo wasn't getting any better. If anything, his condition was deteriorating.  
  
***  
  
Duo blinked as Wufei dissolved into darkness and he found himself sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor of a partly demolished building, holding a medicine bottle in his hand. He instantly recognized where he was though, as soon as the whole scene fell into place.  
  
'Not these dreams again.I thought I got rid of them.' He looked at the blonde haired boy lying on the ground in front of him and swallowed hard, knowing what was coming. It always happened. Always the same night after night, torturing his sleep. Taunting him about if only he had done something sooner.  
  
The boy opened his clouded blue eyes and smiled faintly at Duo, using last shreds of energy to speak. [1]  
  
"You came back.I didn't think you would make it."  
  
***  
  
"Solo."  
  
Wufei paused, looking down. Duo's brow was furrowed intently, he didn't appear to have awakened, but he was apparently talking to somebody.  
  
"I got the vaccine, Solo, you're gonna be okay now- you're gonna get better, you hafta 'cause I can't watch all the orphans by myself," Duo continued murmuring, his expression looking more pained. "Buddies 'till the end, we promised. We're the Unstoppable Duo, remember? You can't leave me alone." He sounded like a little five-year-old who just found out there was no such thing as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, nothing like the loud, comical Shinigami Wufei was used to hearing. He shifted uncomfortably as he walked, trying not to think of whatever tormenting memories Duo was obviously going though in his fever.  
  
Luckily, the cabin came into view at just the same time and as Wufei carefully laid him down onto the couch, Duo began to shiver. Pulling off his sweaty tank top as he went, Wufei grabbed some of the quilts from in the bedroom and neatly tucked the braided pilot in. For a moment, it looked as if the fever had subsided a bit and he had fallen asleep, but he just turned over and paled further, if it was possible. Wufei pulled the worn coffee table closer to the couch and sat down, reaching out and feeling Duo's flaming face with something like concern in his gaze.  
  
***  
  
The dream of Solo's death faded and Duo found himself hiding behind the front pew in a run down church. Outside, gunshots rang wildly through the air and huge tanks made the earth tremble, the sounds of war were returning to an already too war- ravaged colony. A group of six people in camouflage were hounding a priest and a nun at the altar as more people dragged in wounded or dead soldiers in through the double doors at the back and what few other nuns there were in the church tended to them.  
  
"All we have to do is capture the base!" One of the six officers said loudly. "All we need is a mobile suit and we'll be unstoppable!"  
  
"It's the only to gain freedom," another replied and an undertone of agreement ran through the small group.  
  
The priest found courage to object. " 'We, the people of the colonies, didn't come to live in space so we could fight.' No matter what, we mustn't fight. Heero Yuy said that once-" he began to assert but the man that had spoken up first knocked him to the worn carpeted floor with the butt of his rifle. Duo felt the rage building inside. It always did.  
  
"Fool! This is war!" he spat at the unconscious priest. The nun jumped in front of him before he could do further harm, only to get slapped away. She fell to her knees, holding her face and looking at the officers in shock.  
  
"Please, stop this! This is a place of worship and peace-" The nun pleaded, but it didn't effect them. He raised his hand to strike her again, but Duo's fury broke and he jumped out from his hiding place in the pews.  
  
***  
  
"Don't hurt Father Maxwell or Sister Helen anymore.All's you want is a mobile suit, right? I'll just go steal one for you! But you can't destroy the church- You have to promise not to." he turned again, away from the cool touch. "All they're doin' is making more orphans like me.I'll steal the suit and they'll end the war for good."  
  
Wufei tucked his legs underneath him, watching Duo even though he didn't want to, but he couldn't help but sit and listen. It was the AC 188 Maxwell Church Tragedy.  
  
***  
  
It was happening again. He always came too late. The stolen truck with the mobile suit sat a few yards behind him, but Duo didn't care about that. He was walking in a daze into the ruins of the church. Bodies were strewn everywhere; blood soaked and stained the ground. Not wanting to turn the corner, but he knew he had to, Duo came and dropped down beside the battered nun, Sister Helen. Her deathlike face lit up briefly as he grabbed her hand and shamefully started to cry, rocking back and forth slowly.  
  
It was always his fault. He came too late, every single time. Never being able to save anyone. Not Solo who was his first best friend. Not the church where he found a home when he thought he never would. Not Father Maxwell with his stupid Heero Yuy inspired preaching about peace to soldiers who knew nothing except the battlefield. Not Sister Helen and how she showed him that people really could love an orphan like him. His mistakes of never thinking things through. Bringing isolation onto himself. It was always his fault. [2]  
  
***  
  
"It's all my fault, Sister.it's 'cause I stole the suit, isn't it?" Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes. "I- I'll go get you a doctor- Sister Helen? C'mon, wake up.please.I'm sorry for leaving, I'm sorry for taking that dumb mobile suit.wake up for me, please."  
  
It was too much for Wufei. His arrogant mask had left. How could a person be so cheerful and full of life with pasts like they've had? Hell, how could a person be -sane-? Okay, so there were times when the five pilots couldn't quite be considered sane. But -most- of the time they had a pretty firm grip on reality.  
  
Wufei stooped down beside the couch and would have nearly wiped away the tears as gently as he could with his war callused fingers, but static came from the radio on the table. He jerked his hands back abruptly.  
  
"02? 05? What are the stats?" It was Heero. Wufei got up and cleared his throat before turning on the receiver headset and responding.  
  
"Mission accomplished."  
  
***  
  
[1]I don't know if Solo was really blonde haired or blue eyed, I just wrote my description of him as I saw him.  
  
[2]Yes, I purposely over use 'always'. Since Duo's come to expect to lose all the time, reliving the same memories over again and knowing that he can't stop it, he just knows that he can't stop it. That it 'always' happens. 


	4. Chapter 4

Gomen nasai for not putting up more sooner! I've been busy with school stuff, so I didn't have time to write! But be prepared for some Wufei angst now! ^^  
  
And thanks to everyone that reviewed! I hope to pull in more readers as the story develops, even though only having a few makes me the happiest person in the world. ^^  
  
I'm glad you all are liking it so far!  
  
***  
  
"...And?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"It sounded like you were about to add something to that."  
  
"It's nothing major," Wufei was shocked at the disregard in his voice that came so easily, as if he were only talking about the weather. Certainly Heero couldn't tell that Duo was having a nice little walk down memory lane in a drug-induced delirium. "D- Maxwell just got a little beat up. That's all."  
  
There was a pause as Heero tried to decrypt Wufei's stammering, but didn't divulge to the Chinese that he suspected more than he was saying. "Hn. Not surprising."  
  
Furious at himself for showing a sign of weakness, Wufei snorted derisively to Heero's remark, reverting to normal. "Yes, fooling around as usual. But other than that, everything went smoothly and we should be returning within the next couple of days, once the buzz dies down."  
  
Another "Hn." And the connection was cut.  
  
Though, it only took one glance at Duo to quickly melt his anger away again and Wufei went back to his perch on the coffee table, feeling extremely troubled. To them emotions were on/off switches, on when they were needed, which was very rare, and more than likely off. Cold.  
  
Emotions only made you look weak in battle, they were useless. Weren't they? Being one so accustomed to that, the strange, long suppressed sensation that grew in his heart as he learned all these new things about Duo was almost alien. What was it?  
  
Understanding? Able to see himself when he looked at Duo suffering? But, if that were it, why couldn't his feelings be expressed just as naturally as his? It didn't look too difficult. That answer was easy.  
  
Soldiers are not allowed to have emotions.  
  
Yet even as that crossed his mind, Wufei saw his rough hand shakily reach out and touch Duo's cheek, still soaked in sweat and the tears that continued to flow silently.  
  
'Impudent fool. You are weak, acting like a woman.' His soldier instincts kept repeating it, but for once, he ignored them. As scared as he was of these unfamiliar, raw emotions, one he least expected made a lump rise in his throat. He had only felt it once, but it was enough to remember that one time and that is what alarmed him so much.  
  
"Nataku..." Wufei whispered. "Forgive me..."  
  
***  
  
She had prided herself in being the strongest of her clan. When he was to become her husband, she openly scoffed that he was too weak and would never be suitable enough to be an heir to the Long family. Which didn't bother him in the slightest because he didn't want it either, as a matter of fact he told them all to go to Hell. But they didn't have a choice in the situation, it was tradition.  
  
One day, as he sat in the field of flowers reading a book, she came tramping up the hillside looking livid.  
  
"You would think being married to Nataku would make you into a real man," she sniffed, glaring at the open book in his hand. He ignored her. "WUFEI! Why don't practice martial arts like -real- men do?!"  
  
Wufei shut his book and calmly looked up at her. "Why do you fight? Why do you insist on calling yourself 'Nataku', Meilan?" he answered placidly, only enraging her more.  
  
"To uphold justice!" she retorted.  
  
"Is there really such as thing as justice?"  
  
"Shall I show you?" Her onyx eyes glinted with the thirst for battle and sneered smugly.  
  
"Fine." Wufei put his book down and took off his glasses, carefully putting them on top of the book as he got up. Dusting off the back of his knee-length Chinese style jerkin, he gave 'Nataku' a disarming smile and bowed, getting into perfect fighting stance. She charged head on, only to be sidestepped easily by him and being kicked to the ground hard. It began to rain. 'Nataku' wavered on her hands and knees in shock.  
  
"Justice exists.But only for one's convenience." She whipped her hurt pride filled gaze up at Wufei as he spoke, merely pushing back his wet, shoulder length black hair from his face and put his glasses on, tucking his book inside the jerkin. "A fight based on such a thing as justice is pointless." He turned his nose up somewhat, looking down on her with contempt. "Nataku, eh? You chose a much too arrogant name for yourself..."  
  
Just days later, OZ attacked the colony with a fleet of mobile suits. Ashamed of being beaten by the 'boarding school brat' in their fight, Meilan jumped into one of the mobile suits that Master O had been working on, despite of his warnings that a woman couldn't handle it. By the time Wufei had learned about it, she was already in the midst of battle. He took Shenlong, even though it had no weapons installed yet, to bring her back before she got herself injured worse.  
  
"Meilan! Go home! This is no place for a woman to be!" He floated behind her, yelling over his vid-com connection.  
  
"I am not a woman! I am Nataku!" Meilan argued stubbornly.  
  
"Onna! I am your husband and you will listen to me!" he exclaimed.  
  
She turned around to face him. It was then that she saw an OZ suit powering up its beam cannon to blast Wufei from behind, he was so intent on getting her out of the fight, she was sure he didn't know. Meilan darted around Shenlong just as the shot was released. Wufei watched in horror as her mobile suit just seemed to disintegrate in the wake of the blast.  
  
***  
  
"I was strong, wasn't I? Just like Nataku..."  
  
"Yes Meilan, you were strong."  
  
"I'm not Meilan, I am Nataku."  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry, from now on I'll only call you Nataku..."  
  
"Good."  
  
Wufei held Meilan in his arms just as he had Duo, standing in the field of flowers a few minutes after the explosion. She had managed to make it out of the suit before the beam cannon's discharge actually hit, and he had found her among the debris. There was a moment of calm silence between them then-  
  
"Nataku? Come on, wake up, you have yet to fully accept me as your husband!"  
  
***  
  
[Yes, for those who haven't seen pictures or read the info book 'Gundam Wing: Episode Zero', before becoming a Gundam pilot, Wufei was a boarding school 'brat' (as his wife so lovingly called him) who had glasses and wore his hair down instead of the uptight ponytail. ^^] 


	5. Chapter 5

Next chapter!!!!! ^^ Thanks once again to all you guys that have been reviewing to my little crappy story!!  
  
Warning: Duo says the 'f' word. That's right, he says fuck. And not just once. Multiple times in a row. Six times to be exact. Just thought I'd warn you for absolutely no reason whatsoever except for the fact that your insane author here (Yep, that's little ole me) just downed an entire two liter bottle of Mountain Dew and is in an elated state of hyperosity as she posts this next chapter. ^^;;;  
  
  
  
***  
  
Duo's eyes fluttered open and he groaned softly. His head felt like it had been split in two and he was soaked in cold sweat. The murky cabin was dimly lit with cloud-shrouded morning sunlight, but it was enough for him to get a grasp on his surroundings. 'Did Wufei let me sleep while he went off on the mission alone?' Duo thought fuzzily, sitting up on his elbows. A sharp stab of pain in his shoulder immediately brought him to his senses though and the events of the night before trickled into his clearing mind. But the last thing he remembered was passing out in the woods, not ending up in the hideout. Then came the return of his dreams. Duo eased himself back down, feeling as if all his energy had left him again. He hoped to God he hadn't said anything aloud, he didn't want Wufei thinking he really was just a pathetic excuse of a Gundam pilot. Duo turned over onto his side and nearly had a heart attack. Speak of the Devil.  
  
Wufei had fallen asleep sitting Indian style on the coffee table with his chin drooping down onto his shirtless chest, one arm hung stretched in front of him as if he was reaching out for something in his slumber. His face had the most expression on it that Duo had ever seen, except for when the Chinese pilot was pissed off at him; it was pinched and slightly upset. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had had bad dreams that night. The thing that really got him though was that Mr. Justice and Morality was just sitting there half dressed like it was nothing. If he weren't so dead tired or stressing over if he had given himself away, he would have done something completely mischievous and evil to use as blackmail against him. But seeing how Duo was dead tired and really didn't want to keep on stressing, he decided to flip back and fall asleep to alleviate the lingering effects of the drug and the fever.  
  
The abrupt movements roused Wufei from his light, troubled doze however and he jumped to his feet, not appearing to recognize where exactly he was for a second before relaxing.  
  
"Shit, you really are tryin' to kill me, aren't you Fei?" Duo chuckled feebly as he dropped down with a heavy sigh, a few loose wisps of black hair straying from the ponytail. "Nearly gave me another heart attack."  
  
"I'm sorry Duo- I just got caught off guard," Wufei mumbled, pushing the strands away, only making it worse as more came undone. "I didn't even realize I drifted off." His head suddenly snapped up as it finally dawned upon him that Duo was awake.  
  
"Obviously." A ghost of a smirk spread across Duo's parched lips. "Wouldn't've been surprised if you busted a whole in the roof with how high you flew. That and you said 'Duo' instead of 'Maxwell'."  
  
Wufei shifted uncomfortably and Duo cringed slightly, waiting for the usual loud tirade to ensue. But it didn't, only an odd look flickered in Wufei's eyes. To make it weirder, he got nervous and went in search for his tank top to hide his discomfiture.  
  
Now that Duo was awake, all sorts of questions had popped up unawares in his mind about all the incidents he had heard about and this curiosity unnerved him. He wasn't even supposed to know these things. They a driven him to go reencounter his own painful memories and question his ethics as a soldier. Wufei could sense Duo's perplexed gaze watching him from the couch as he hurried off into the bedroom where he had left his shirt on the bed.  
  
As he disappeared into the room, Duo looked about as disturbed as Wufei felt. 'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...This isn't good. He's bein' weird, he knows something. But he isn't acting all self-righteous...Weird...' he thought uneasily, beginning to stress again, except this time about what made Wufei react the way he did. The look he had given him before hastily walking away was the last one that Duo would have expected to see.  
  
Compassion?  
  
***  
  
Wufei stayed hidden in the bedroom long enough to regain his composure before going back out. He knew Duo had noticed his unease by the way he immediately changed the subject as soon as he came back.  
  
"So has Heero contacted yet?"  
  
"Yes, a while ago." Wufei answered rather stiffly, precariously sitting on the edge of the table again. Maybe Duo did only imagine the look; he sure seemed to be acting just like himself.  
  
"So that means their part of the mission went unsurprisingly perfect- We should be clearing out too, before OZ starts poking around here for us," Duo paled a little as he pushed himself up in an upright position.  
  
"No, we're not going anywhere until you're well." Another shocker for the braided pilot as Wufei firmly opposed. "I don't know what exactly happened or what that scientist used, but I'm not risking anything that might make you relapse into another fever."  
  
Duo's expression went sheepish. "Ah- well, I can't really handle any drug harder than antibiotics or extremely light anesthetics..." he mumbled. "After the AC 187 epidemic was brought to L2 when I was kid..." The haunted sadness flashed for a fleeting second but it was just as quickly banished and replaced by a feigned, hollow laugh. "Why am I tellin' you this, eh Wu-man? Just might give you even more ideas on how to kill me." Duo forced a playful grin.  
  
"I would never resort to such low methods of elimination!" Wufei said indignantly, though the queer look gleamed again in his eyes. So Duo didn't imagine it earlier. Great.  
  
"Hey Wu- when Heero contacted...You didn't happen to say anything about this whole little incident, did you?" The last thing he needed was for -everyone- to think he was pitiful.  
  
"No- I only mentioned that you were injured, but not the extent, and said we would be back within the next or two." Wufei appeared uncomfortable once more, shifting his gaze from him and suddenly finding the window behind the couch very interesting.  
  
Duo couldn't decide if he was angry or if he was relieved. He -must- have just imagined the look if Wufei was just brushing aside his bad reaction to whatever the scientist had injected him with as nothing, but then at least the other pilots didn't know. All the stressing was beginning to stretch what little regained energy he had thin and all Duo felt like doing at the moment was just going back to sleep, not trying to figure out Wufei's strange behavior or anything else for that matter. For all he cared, they could turn into detrophiliacs [1] and go find a nice little tree to screw, so all he actually replied was a weary, "That's peachy."  
  
Wufei scrutinized him closely; over the course of their conversation Duo had paled further and grown somewhat haggard, and he instinctively reached out and tested his forehead with the back of his hand. "You getting warm again, you should try and get more rest to get the remnants of the drug out of your system before we move on to anything else."  
  
Duo blinked rapidly as Wufei withdrew his hand and walked off without another word. In his voice had been the same cool distance, as if he had only spoke about needing some part or another for Shenlong, but the contradicting gentle touch could still be felt like static under his messy bangs, even with it having been long removed.  
  
Extremely confused, Duo burrowed himself under the mountain of quilts with his mind reeling in spite of his resolve to put off trying to figure it all out.  
  
Was there more to Mr. Justice and Morality than he thought there was?  
  
***  
  
[1]I dunno if detrophiliacs is right, I just know that the scientific name for people who like to have sex with trees starts with a 'd' and ends in 'philiac'. (Don't ask, I just thought it would be one of those funny things that Duo would come up with.) 


	6. Chapter 6

Ack!! Gomen nasai for another long gap in the chapters!! I've actually been busy doing *gasp* homework *another melodramatic gasp*. Yes, Hell's frozen over. ^^;;; Actually, I got in trouble, so yeah...But here we go!! Thanks to everyone who has been so faithfully reviewing every time!! Aw heck, to anyone that reads this and reviews! ^^  
  
One little warning: slight OOCness. Be prepared, the story's not going to stay this light, this is only the deep breath before the plunge. ^^  
  
  
  
***  
  
Wufei had let Duo snooze almost the entire day away. He didn't wake again until well past six in the evening, but the long sleep had done wonders to his previously horrendous appearance. Duo was nearly back to his normal buoyant self, but it amazingly didn't seem to aggravate Wufei as much as it usually did. If anything, he was being really unsettlingly good-tempered.  
  
As Wufei gathered the sparse amount of things in the cabin, Duo took the time to do a careful examination on his shoulder. Unlike his refreshed mood, his shoulder was looking nastily bruised and now having ample light to see by, he could clearly distinguish an inch long, thin jagged gouge from where he had slammed the syringe out of his shoulder after he had been tackled into the computer panel. It didn't -feel- any better than it looked either. Duo couldn't rotate it any more than a couple of inches before knives of pain shot out all over and he definitely wasn't going to be lifting anything heavy any time soon.  
  
"Damn- Wu, are you ready to go? 'Cause if you've got everything, we should start hittin' the road," Duo called loudly so he could hear it in the bedroom. Wufei came out with a worn duffel bag in hand as he grabbed his shirt from the coffee table and began to put it on.  
  
"Maxwell-" He had stepped into his usual persona. "- Could you have at least -warned- me that you were only half dressed?"  
  
"Hey now, who was the one sleepin' on the table with nothin' but white pants and a katana?" Duo parried amusedly, gritting his teeth as he eased his bad arm into the rolled up shirtsleeve.  
  
Wufei muttered something inaudibly, modestly adverting his gaze as his face reddened. "I'll drive again, just as a precaution," he continued after Duo managed to get his shirt right at last, neatly tucked in at the waist.  
  
"Are you positive? I'm fine now, honestly."  
  
"Yes, I just want to be sure."  
  
A few minutes later, the two were pulling off down the dirt road out of the dense forest. Duo sat uneasily in the passenger side once again, toying with the end of his braid instead of his gun this time, though Wufei actually stayed quite calm and cool. After riding a while in silence, not being able to restrain himself, Duo started questioning Wufei.  
  
"You're not gonna mention anything about the scientist and all, are you?" he asked, staring straight ahead out of the window.  
  
"Do we ever discuss our missions?" Wufei answered impassively.  
  
"Not unless there somethin' important..." Duo said dully, of course he knew that, why did he have to ask? He stirred nervously again; his fidgeting was beginning to make Wufei apprehensive now.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"I- umm, only wonderin'. I'm gettin' tired, so I'm gonna go to sleep," Duo lied lamely, "Wake me up if you need me to drive." He turned his back to Wufei, filling the truck with quietness.  
  
***  
  
The remainder of the trip went on just the same as before the mission, but Duo wasn't sleeping and Wufei wasn't contemplating different ways to off the braided pilot that he could make look like 'accidents'. Both were deep in troubled meditation.  
  
But a few distracted missed turns and many hours later, Wufei pulled up to the safe house as noiselessly as he could in his shroud of night. The clock on the dash said 3:45 AM in fluorescent green neon and he knew at least Trowa and Quatre were in bed, Heero never seemed to, he was always working on the infernal laptop of his.  
  
After fishing around for the faded duffel from the floorboard underneath his seat, Wufei leaned over and hesitantly grasped the inside of Duo's shoulder closest to his neck, so as not to jar his injured arm. "Duo? Get up, we're here." He roused him gently.  
  
Duo was surprised, the ride had gone a lot faster than he expected, as he faked a huge yawn and uncurled himself, stretching like a cat. His left side felt stiff under Wufei's hold from being unmoved for so long and he groaned as he kicked open the passenger side door.  
  
"My arm's not gonna fall off, you know, so you can let go now." Duo grumbled, his train of thought had been broken and he was feeling irritable as he shook Wufei off, clambering out of the truck awkwardly. They stole silently into the house and Duo immediately vanished upstairs to his room without another word. Wufei sat in the cushiony, overstuffed armchair in the adjacent living room, not wanting to go up just yet. He knew Heero was more than likely still up, that he would never get to sleep with the sound of computer keys clicking away annoyingly, and that it wasn't very likely that the Japanese boy was out in Wing Zero working. He didn't wish to even go up and check just to make sure that he wasn't working on his Gundam because if he -was- there, he feared Heero would read his bewildered mind in spite of his impassive mask and ask what was wrong.  
  
It was no small wonder that Wufei was so pissed all the time, he brooded so seriously about things that he spun himself up like a top, always looking for some hidden objective that didn't even exist. There were times that he had to just let his hair down (no pun intended. Okay, it was a pun, so sue me. If anything, it helped alleviate his headaches by pulling out that damned tight as hell, immaculate ponytail) and relax. And breathe. Yes, breathing was a very good thing too. Neurotic? Wufei? No... A little high-strung? Maybe only a tiny bit.  
  
He didn't know when he nodded off, but the next thing Wufei realized was being prodded awake by someone.  
  
"Wu-man? C'mon buddy, up and at 'em, you can't go sleeping in longer than me now. It's not right." Amusement danced in Duo's violet eyes and he had a big grin on his face.  
  
"What time is it?" Startled, Wufei would have jumped out of the armchair if Duo wasn't in the way. "Uhh..." He looked around for a clock. "Almost twelve thirty."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Yep, twelve thirty. So get up, Q's makin' lunch or brunch or whatever you're supposed to eat when you wake up past noon."  
  
As soon as Duo came bounding cheerfully into the kitchen, and not in fear, Quatre raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No katana hurling today?" he asked placidly, though there was some relief tinged in it. There were enough sword notches in the kitchen walls as there was without the need to add anymore.  
  
"Surprisingly." Trowa added with a small smirk. Unbeknownst to the others, he found the morning chases between Duo and Wufei highly entertaining and was almost disappointed at the fact that the braided pilot hadn't been closely pursued by a flying katana. [1]  
  
"You all just -want- me to get my head cut off, don't you?" Duo replied dryly, taking his seat next to Trowa at the other end of the table.  
  
"Yes, we do." Wufei quipped as he joined the world of the living in the kitchen.  
  
Quatre smiled pleasantly. "Of course not. Later I want to give that shoulder of yours a proper inspection, okay Duo?"  
  
"Yes mother." As Quatre turned around though, Duo shot Wufei an anxious glance across the table, unnoticed by Trowa, who was reading the newspaper because of the lack of the morning katana chase.  
  
***  
  
Once the kitchen had been cleaned up, Quatre asked Duo to pull off his shirt as Trowa went off to work on Heavy Arms.  
  
"God, I'm amazed that you haven't been complaining about this yet," Quatre said, almost afraid to even glimpse at the nasty black and blue bruise that spread from the uppermost part of his arm to the back of his neck, let alone touch it. But he had to check for any fractured bone. Wufei openly flinched, which was something. "How did you get the cut?"  
  
Duo gulped. "Oh, nothin' special or anything, it was a sharp corner."  
  
Quatre looked suspicious but didn't voice his skepticism. "Hm, okay. Well, at least nothing's broken, it's all just one big bruise."  
  
"Brilliant conclusion, Doctor Spock."  
  
Wufei began to snicker as Quatre patted Duo particularly hard on the shoulder before heading out to join Trowa, making him stifle a whimper of pain. "Owww..."  
  
"That's what you get for being sarcastic, Maxwell," he said lightly, getting a glare in reply.  
  
"Oh shut up," Duo muttered, turning his scowl to his shirt on the table. "Damn, I think I'm just gonna run around shirtless 'cause I don't feel like goin' through all the pain it takes to put that damn thing on."  
  
"That was your fault too, you should have been watching your back, or at least just have shot the scientist in the first place," Wufei pointed out bluntly. "It would have saved you and me both a lot of trouble."  
  
"Oh yes, everything's Duo's fault, isn't it?" he retorted sourly. "Yep, that's it. It's always my fault."  
  
The pent up bitterness in his voice stabbed like a dagger in Wufei's heart as echoes from the cabin filled his mind.  
  
It's all my fault, Sister...it's 'cause I stole the suit, isn't it? I'm sorry for leaving, I'm sorry for taking that dumb mobile suit...wake up for me, please...  
  
Buddies 'till the end, we promised. We're the Unstoppable Duo, remember? You can't leave me alone...It was all my fault, wasn't it?  
  
"I didn't mean it like that Duo," said Wufei quietly. "You're not to blame, I should have warned you sooner instead of watching like a fool. You were only doing your part of the mission."  
  
Caught unawares by the sudden change, Duo's resentful attitude lost its footing and he blinked confusedly. "Are -you- feelin' okay there, Fei? Sounds like someone clocked you upside the head one too many times or something there-"  
  
"I was being serious, Duo. I'm sorry-" Flustered, Wufei hastily exited the kitchen, leaving Duo in utter shock.  
  
"Huh, well this has certainly become a very interesting day..." He scratched his head, still staring at the doorway.  
  
***  
  
[1]This is an inside joke. Trowa is always so damn quiet and even more emotionless than Heero, so I thought it would be highly amusing to have him find something like Wufei threatening to cut off Duo's braid and chase him down with a katana entertaining. But seeing how he's always so damn impassive, you'd never be able to tell. ^^;;; 


	7. Chapter 7

I went on a little writing spree! I got this done in almost one sitting! (One sitting = three hours, of course.) But yes! Okay, so this is another kind of light part, but it ends in a cliffhanger! ^^ *insert evil grin here* All sorts of fun arguments in this chapter.  
  
Warning: Slight OOCness again. (Obviously, this whole story's been OOC)  
  
  
  
***  
  
Over the next few days, Wufei seemed to have just vanished into thin air. His bed remained perfectly made, in fact, Heero said that the Chinese pilot had yet to take a step into their bedroom since his and Duo's little tiff the day they returned.  
  
Duo kept well more to himself than usual, Quatre even checked his temperature once or twice to see if he was sick because of his odd lapses of silence that became more frequent as time passed. Finally, Trowa, of all the pilots to do so, brought the issue up on the fifth morning before Duo had woken up and come downstairs.  
  
"Those two haven't been right since the mission." He stated simply.  
  
"I know, it's got me worried. I wish I knew what happened, I'm actually beginning to miss all the noise and insanity," Quatre replied sheepishly. "I think it's worse without the commotion than with it."  
  
"Hn...I agree." Heero allowed grudgingly. "More than likely, Chang's holed himself up in Shenlong."  
  
"Yes, we all tend to close ourselves up in our Gundams if we want privacy," Quatre nodded in assent.  
  
"But those two aren't going to tell us anything," he indicated matter-of-factly. "We never do unless it's important and all they were supposed to do was eliminate another base."  
  
"Could you be any more uncaring? Oh wait, Heero Yuy is the Perfect Soldier and Perfect Soldiers don't bother with that sort of trivial nonsense, do please forgive me for forgetting that." That immediate got Quatre surprised looks from the other two, Heero not the least. "I'm sorry, but I really am worried, and you can't act any more cold about this even if you tried."  
  
"Quatre, the mere actuality that we're discussing this is concern enough," Trowa reassured him.  
  
"We just leave all the worrying up to you since you seem so good at it."  
  
"You're not helping any here, Heero."  
  
"Neither are you Trowa."  
  
"Fine!" Quatre interrupted, glaring at them both. "I say we give it another day or two, and if this hasn't blown over after a week since coming back, well, then we'll get involved."  
  
Heero and Trowa only shrugged and he sighed exasperatingly, but didn't say anything.  
  
***  
  
After they had retreated to bed, or to a laptop, that night, Duo emerged from his room cautiously and crept downstairs. Nothing extraordinary, he was just plain hungry and wasn't in the mood to be questioned by Quatre or the others, so he had to wait until they cleared out to their rooms. With his shoulder out of commission, he hadn't been able to braid his hair, and not realizing that until -after- he had unraveled it to brush it, it hung in dark brown waves almost down below his butt.  
  
Another fairly good reason, he thought, to stay hidden. He looked like a girl and that was all he needed, to have the pilots thinking he was girlish. Of course, that wasn't going to happen.  
  
It was how Wufei found him that night, as Duo was pilfering around in the kitchen, with basically the same idea in mind, not wanting to be grilled and deciding to wait until later to pop inside from spending all day in Shenlong's cockpit.  
  
Just as Duo was about to head into the living room, Wufei slipped in through the garage door on the other side and saw him. He came to a dead stop mid-step and immediately turned to sidle back out again, but it was too late. Duo had heard him.  
  
"Wufei?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
He didn't respond, but came in and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry about gettin' pissed at you the other day and all- and there's no excuse for the way I snapped- I hate being immobile with this stupid damn shoulder, which -is- because of my not payin' attention-"  
  
"-Duo."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Breathe. You're babbling. And I already told you; you're -not- to blame. 'What ifs' and accusations won't change the current predicament." Wufei said flatly.  
  
Duo took a deep breath and sighed, seeming to visibly deflate right before his eyes. "I know, I know...But still, I can't do -anything-! And it's startin' to be a royal pain in the ass."  
  
"I don't think I noticed," he replied wryly. "As odd as this sounds coming from me, all you have to do is ask for help. Because sitting around and sulking in your room until it heals will only make matters worse."  
  
"Oh yeah, that definitely sounds funny comin' from you, Fei. What have you been doin' the past few days, eh? Shackin' up in Shenlong for no apparent reason whatsoever-"  
  
"That's different."  
  
"How? Huh? I don't see a difference, except for that you can use all your limbs." Duo scoffed. "You don't have to 'sulk', as you so kindly put it, around lookin' like a girl, damn it!" He glowered darkly.  
  
"Do you want help with that?" Wufei smirked as he glared.  
  
"Unless you know how to braid, then I don't see why I should bother 'cause I really don't wanna ponytail that cuts off the blood flow to my brain, thank you very much," Duo snorted derisively.  
  
"Fortunately for you, I can, and very well too. But if you're going to joke about my style of choice, then I think I -should- let you sulk around looking like an onna until your shoulder heals," Wufei answered mockingly, beginning to open the garage entrance again.  
  
"No! C'mon! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Pleaseeeee, pleaseeeee, pleaseeeee," Duo launched across the kitchen and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away from the door. "C'mon, it's bad enough that -you- saw me, you gotta help me out, Fei, my good ole buddy. Please? See, I asked nicely now." His Chibi Eyed Pout packed as much power as Heero's Death Glare.  
  
Wufei stumbled, caught off guard, and got pulled off into the living room. Duo switched on the lamp beside the large armchair and settled himself down on the carpet. He sat in the chair and glanced at the staircase nervously, if any of the others were to happen to come down at that moment, their situation would be really awkward. But Wufei had led himself into a wide-open attack in a way and his subconscious dimly wondered if he had done it on purpose as he gathered Duo's silky fine hair in his rough hands. Meticulously splitting it into three parts, Wufei twisted the strands for what seemed like forever, tilting farther and farther away as it grew.  
  
"God, Duo, I knew your hair was long, but this is ridiculous!" He muttered, leaning forward again so that his face hovered by his ear. "You wouldn't happen to have a rubber band or something on you, would you?" Duo handed him a thick black one. "There, done."  
  
They both instantly got to their feet and he whirled to thank him not aware he had rose at the same time, ending up face-to- face with barely more than a couple of centimeters separating them.  
  
***  
  
Chibi Eyed Pout! Buwaha! I just -had- to have my own little trademark here. ^^;;; I can just picture Duo's kawaii face in the Chibi Eyed Pout...*snuggle* Too kawaii. 


	8. Chapter 8

And the story is plunging! Yes, the beginning is sucky, but it will get better! Much better! I don't know just how far I'm gonna go with the two yet...But when I get there, you'll find out!  
  
Oh yeah, and I couldn't help myself. OBVIOUS 3x4 insinuations in this chapter. I find Quatre and Trowa adorable together. So kill me. ^^;; I find giving Trowa a sense of humor as highly entertaining as his finding Wufei chasing Duo with a katana highly entertaining. *sweatdrop* Yes, your author is a retard.  
  
Slight OOCness again, too. Gomen ne! And thanks all you guys for reviewing!  
  
  
  
***  
  
Duo's violet eyes went wide and he sprang backwards, blushing furiously and stuttering numerous apologies. Too dazed to do anything, Wufei just stood there stupidly and before he could regain his senses, Duo was gone as fast as lightning. He shook his head vaguely and went back through the kitchen to the garage again.  
  
***  
  
The seventh day came and still neither Duo nor Wufei had shown themselves to the others, or at least that they had known of. Their midnight encounter had gone unobserved and not heard in the least.  
  
So, inevitably, Quatre was the one stuck with the job, though without a doubt, it didn't take much to persuade him into the job in the first place since Trowa and Heero obviously weren't nearly as qualified for this 'mission' as he was.  
  
Quatre didn't even bother with knocking; he slipped in as quietly as a mouse into Duo's room and stood beside his bed. Duo had a tattered old comic book laid over his face, appearing to be asleep, but he didn't even bother with that either. Quatre picked up the comic book and idly tossed it aside, being met with the very much awake American's scowl, though once he recognized who it was, it immediately converted into a big grin.  
  
"What brings you in here, Q-man?" Duo asked brightly.  
  
"We need to talk." He looked him square in the eyes and he finally sat up in defeat.  
  
"Fine.what do you wanna know?"  
  
"Why you and Wufei have been avoiding each other and everyone else since you two returned."  
  
"Damn- er- umm- how about I get back to you on that one?"  
  
"How about not?"  
  
"You're really stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Duo said evasively, tucking his legs underneath himself restlessly and keeping his gaze trained on the worn comic book, a red tinge slowly creeping up from his neck to his cheeks.  
  
"Only when I want something, now don't try to change the subject." Quatre replied firmly.  
  
"All right..." Duo trailed off. "...Well, we just don't get along. And I've been in here 'cause...I dunno why on that one, I just have."  
  
He sighed, he had come in there knowing that he wouldn't get anywhere, but he had to at least try. "Okay Duo, will you come out later? Nothing against Trowa or Heero, but they aren't exactly the best of company, if you get my drift," Quatre's bright smile was somewhat strained as he got up and started to leave.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
Now it was time for Wufei. Fun.  
  
Quatre went past Heero and Trowa without saying anything and continued on through the garage determinedly. In the far corner there was another door that opened up to the woods behind their safe house and was were four of the five Gundams were stowed, Wing had been transported to another place because Heero was going out on another mission within the next day or so. Shenlong was the furthest away from the safe house and it was a good ten minute walk before Quatre was able to find it stooping under the tree branches, poised to fly right away if needed for battle. The cockpit airlock was open and he could see Wufei sitting out with his back against the hatchway, his head tilted upward towards the sky that was barely visible between the thick tree limbs. He didn't seem to have noticed him coming.  
  
As Quatre got right up to the Gundam, he was able to discern the pensive expression on the Chinese pilot's face. "Wufei?" he called tentatively.  
  
He jumped at the sound of his name and looked down at Quatre in poorly masked surprise, as if he were the last person he expected to see. "What do you want?" he asked, disgruntled.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
Wufei blinked but shrugged stiffly. "I guess, if it's so important that you had to come all the way out here for it." Quatre nimbly climbed up to the hatchway and sat across from him. "So what did you come all the way out here to talk to me about?"  
  
"Duo."  
  
Now if either of them was more caught off guard by the other's response, it was Quatre. For a fleeting second, Wufei's eyes went wide and his sudden change from reflective to extremely uneasy was very apparent. His steady gaze on Quatre returned to the shady trees and the spots enamel blue sky that managed to make it through the dense boughs. "What about Duo?" No 'Maxwell'. Duo. His curiosity piqued more.  
  
"What happened between you two during the mission?"  
  
"Nothing happened."  
  
"Then why are you two acting so weird?" Quatre persisted.  
  
"How are we acting weird?" Wufei countered suspiciously, looking at him again now.  
  
He shifted impatiently. It was difficult to figure out anything with him contradicting himself with every other reply. "Avoiding each other entirely, Trowa's actually mentioned something about it."  
  
His discomfiture was clearly evident then, but Wufei was going to be as obstinate as Duo because he didn't try to defend that remark, he only turned his eyes up again.  
  
Quatre got to his feet. "Will you at least go and talk to him? It's too quiet without you and Duo."  
  
Wufei watched as he slid down to the ground and headed back to the house, his face clouded once more with deliberation.  
  
***  
  
When Quatre came into the living room, Trowa glanced up questionably. "Well, did your little 'plan' work?"  
  
He shrugged calmly. "I don't know."  
  
"It's not like you to be uncertain, Quatre."  
  
"I did my best, it's up to them now. All we can do is sit back and see how it goes," he shrugged again. "If neither of them make a move, then neither of them make a move. It's out of my hands."  
  
"You know..." Trowa paused.  
  
"What?" Quatre asked inquisitively, curling up beside him on the couch.  
  
"...Those two kind of remind me of when you and I- er- 'came to terms', to put it discreetly..."  
  
"You think so?" He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I mean, Duo- well, maybe- but Wufei?...I don't know...Do you really think so, Trowa?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Am I going to get more than a 'yes' any time soon?"  
  
"Of course." Trowa's lips quirked slightly.  
  
"Oh now, come on, you know what I meant," Quatre berated lightly, though he smiled at the unibanged boy.  
  
***  
  
Night had settled itself heavily by the time Wufei came to a decision. Quatre had been right in a way, he couldn't just run, and he had to tell Duo about what was bothering him so much. It was at that exact time three night before when he had found Duo in the kitchen and their little moment of closeness. The thought of just -how- close they had been sent an odd quiver through him.  
  
All Wufei would do was ease his conscience of what he had discovered during their prolonged stay at the cabin and that was it. Then everything could go back to normal.  
  
Or at least as back to normal as it could get.  
  
He didn't want to know how -Duo- would react to this. What if he took it badly?  
  
Then again, why exactly was he worrying about what he thought, he wasn't supposed to do that.  
  
Get the mission done and over with, that's it, never too much thinking involved. But he was letting it get too involved.  
  
Wufei refused to acknowledge that he was afraid of hurting Duo, though deep down he really was.  
  
Again he stole in through the garage to the kitchen and paused in the living room, staring nervously at the stairs to the left.  
  
'Get it done and over with. Then you don't have to worry about it anymore.' Wufei thought sternly and began walking up the staircase slowly. Duo's room was the first door on the right. He went over and stood at the threshold but didn't knock yet. What if he was asleep? Perfectly good excuse to go right back downstairs and out to Shenlong. Oh well.  
  
Wufei rapped his knuckles softly on the door so as not to disturb the others. "Duo? May I come in?"  
  
*** 


	9. Chapter 9

This part is gonna be a bit shorter than the other chapters, but I think it's worth it despite being short. ^^ The confrontation happens at last. Buwaha!  
  
Warning: Slight OOCness (again) and the 'f' word. Yep. Fuck.  
  
Have fun reading! And thanks for reviewing! ^^  
  
***  
  
"HOLY SHIT!"  
  
Duo flew away from the door as Wufei knocked and asked to come in. He was about to go out in his new little nightly routine and had had his hand on the doorknob.  
  
"I- I mean- uh- sure-" he stammered squeakily, trying to push his heart into his chest again as the door creaked open. "Damn it, that has to be the -third- fucking time I've nearly had a heart attack within the past week!"  
  
To make the embarrassment worse, Wufei seemed to find him having a heart attack completely hilarious. It started as a low chuckle and grew into a full laugh, making him double over and have to hold on to the door to keep from falling down on the carpet.  
  
"Shh! God, you're gonna wake the others up if I haven't already with that 'Holy Shit'!" Duo hissed vehemently, pulling him upright and shutting the door.  
  
"I'm sorry- just that look on your face- was funny-" Wufei snickered.  
  
"I'm glad you found it so amusing," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "So what has you coming to my room at midnight, eh? I'm sure it has nothing to do with scaring me shitless."  
  
"Oh yes, that..." The mirth that had made him glow suddenly diminished to the usual impassive façade as he sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
Duo had the distinct notion that he should sit down too and dropped down on the floor in front of Wufei, surveying him closely. "And?..."  
  
He cleared his throat. "I know everything, Duo. When you had the fever at the cabin...At first I thought you were only dreaming, but then I realized that you were reliving bad memories..." He paused apprehensively as Duo went pale.  
  
He had been right. "No kidding," he smiled oddly. "So am I as pathetic as you thought I was, or do I surpass even your expectations? No better than one of those 'weak women', cryin' in my sleep, right? Is that what you've been thinkin' all along?"  
  
Wufei was hit with his bitterness again and he was shocked, he hadn't been anticipating the backlash. "No, I did not consider that at all," he answered quietly, the desperation in his voice quickly melted Duo's anger. "To tell you the truth...I think I envy how you can show such emotions with no remorse. But- I'm not sure I know how to explain this- it's all very confusing. Hearing your memories that night in the cabin was like listening to my own, it scared me- I couldn't bring myself to say anything to you though...I was more afraid of -you- regarding -me- as...weak and pathetic."  
  
Duo was, for once, absolutely speechless. Such a revelation from Wufei was like 'whoa', he couldn't compare it to anything. Not even Hitler saying he was really a Hasidic Jewish tzaddik after the horrors of the Holocaust could measure up. [1]  
  
"How can one have so much emotion, yet turn around and mercilessly destroy their enemies without a second thought?" Wufei asked softly. "Soldiers are taught that the enemy is nothing but a target, not a human being with a family and friends, just another objective to obliterate in revenge for the damage done to themselves and their pride. I fought like that once, but then in the one night at the cabin listening to you woke up a part of me I thought was dead. I can't see how you and Quatre can fight like this."  
  
Everything sort of fell into place then; all the questions and worries that Duo had had were resolved. It was his turn now. Wufei seemed to be trying his hardest to stay calm, but that was what was wrong.  
  
Duo got up from the carpet and sat beside him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Wufei, Quatre can do it only because he doesn't feel like he has to hold it all in and he isn't ashamed about it. As for me, it's the only reason I haven't pulled a Suicide Boy stunt. When I'm by myself, because unlike Q-man I do get humiliated, I just let it all out of my system. Even if it means beating the hell outta my pillow or cryin' in my sleep or whatever. That's all."  
  
Wufei finally looked him in the eyes and a halfhearted smile managed to spread across his face. Then suddenly he leaned forward and kissed Duo.  
  
***  
  
Buwaha! Leaving it off at a good moment again! *evil grin*  
  
[1] Hasidic Jewry is an almost fanatical, highly orthodox Jewish sect, they're the ones you see on the streets in all black with fringes, black skullcaps, long beards, and earlocks (really long sideburns that are curled). A tzaddik is the top rabbi of the sect; the tzaddik is like their spiritual link to God, or the equivalent to a church pastor. (For better explanations, read 'The Chosen' by Chaim Potok, it's a really good book about American Jews during the Holocaust.) 


	10. Chapter 10

EEP! *hides* Dun kill me! I'm building up to a reallllly good part, I swear. All these damn interruptions, eh? ^^;;  
  
I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the delay! Being busy and having a mental block does -not- help a person when she's trying to write. Hope you all enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
Knock, knock, knock.  
  
"Hope you're up, Duo, I'm coming in." It was Heero. Obviously, tonight was a 'come barging into Duo's room in the middle of the frickin' night' kind of thing.  
  
Wufei jerked away and suddenly vanished without a word.  
  
Face flushed and his heart beating madly in his chest, Duo managed to get the door before Heero entered, trying to appear as composed and relaxed as he could. Or at least not like a certain aforementioned Chinese pilot had just planted one on his lips.  
  
"What's up Heero?" He slouched against the frame just so that Heero was stuck in the hallway, he didn't exactly now where Wufei disappeared to, but he didn't want to chance that if he hadn't hidden well enough that Heero would spot him.  
  
"Another mission. Quatre and Trowa already have something that will occupy the next few days, and I'm flying solo in a few hours, so that leaves it to you and Wufei." He answered flatly. If he had noted Duo's flustered demeanor, his stoical expression didn't let it show.  
  
"That's it? Alright, so just send the stats to Scythe's computers, I'll relay the info to Wu in the morning," Duo shrugged indifferently. At that, Heero actually raised an eyebrow, though -very- slightly.  
  
"Hn..."  
  
Great. He waited impatiently as Heero left, then, "Did ya catch that, Fei?" As Duo shut the door yet again, he emerged of his hiding spot.  
  
"Yes," Wufei hesitated. "I- I apologize, for the -er- that moment before Yuy came in-"  
  
"Don't worry about it," Duo softened, then winked impishly. "Just next time...Give me a little warning, will ya?"  
  
He blinked at the brazen assertion, but visibly eased. "Is it fine to go rushing into another mission? Has your shoulder healed?"  
  
"Oh yeah, 'course it's a bit sore, but all things considered, I'm peachy." To prove his point, Duo rotated his left shoulder without the smallest hint of pain.  
  
"That's good," Wufei's appearance seemed to do a total three- sixty as he smiled fully now, he no longer looked at all contemptuous and royally pissed off at the world, almost unrecognizable. Duo liked him a lot better that way.  
  
"So what are you gonna do, Fei?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, are you gonna go back out to Shenlong to wait, or do you wanna brave goin' into your room with Heero gettin' ready to leave? 'Cause I dunno about you, but I'm dead tired and I wanna get some sleep before I go through the mission objectives," Duo yawned widely and flopped onto his bed. "Or you could just stay in here, whichever suits you."  
  
Despite the welcoming invitation, Wufei shook his head. "No, I think I'll go back out. Come and notify me when you get around to the assignment in the morning."  
  
"Alright."  
  
He turned to go but Duo spoke again.  
  
"Fei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"G'night...And I really am glad you came."  
  
Wufei glanced over with a slight smile. "Good night, Duo."  
  
***  
  
Quatre and Trowa were sitting together silently at the kitchen table the next morning when Duo came flying in from upstairs out of the blue with a big grin on his face.  
  
"Mornin' guys!" he chirped, making himself a cup of coffee.  
  
Quatre and Trowa glanced at each other in surprise at the sudden reappearance of the braided pilot.  
  
"What has you all ecstatic?" Quatre asked pleasantly.  
  
"New mission. I'm gettin' ready to go load all the info in a minute here-" Duo grimaced at the first hot acrid sip of coffee then downed the remainder. "- Heero's left, right?"  
  
"Yes...either that or he's managed to dislodge himself from his laptop long enough for us not to hear him." Trowa said, though with no inkling of jest.  
  
"Ha ha, good, that means it's all there- I'll see you guys later then," Duo grinned again, going out through the garage as abruptly as he had entered.  
  
"-We-?" Quatre blinked.  
  
"Maybe you are more convincing than you thought you were." Trowa commented insinuatingly.  
  
"Huh...maybe..."  
  
***  
  
Duo sat in Deathscythe's cockpit, skimming through the -ton- of data Heero had sent him. He muttered about the injustice of having to read so much so early in the morning and opened a vid- com link to Shenlong. Wufei looked like he was still asleep with his elbow propped up on the arm of the chair and his chin cupped in his hand, eyes closed. He seemed so peaceful that Duo was almost sorry he had to rouse him. Almost. He grinned mischievously.  
  
"Wuuuuuuuuuu!"  
  
"Yes, Duo?" He cracked an eye open with an amused smirk.  
  
"Damn! Ruined a perfectly good moment- didn't know you were really awake..." Duo grumbled. "I WILL get you back for scaring the crap out of me last night!"  
  
"Sure...you just keep telling yourself that," Wufei replied, sitting up straight. "What's our new assignment?"  
  
"Man, there's a lot of stuff here...It seems they're constructing masses of some new type of mobile suit and all that'll be able to hold larger energy cells to last longer in battle and have the capabilities to carry heavier artillery...you know the deal. This time the target's not so far as the last one was, and I think the same plan should work fine too."  
  
"As long as it doesn't end up as the other did," he said solemnly.  
  
"Hey, now do I look like someone who would do the same stupid thing twice?" Duo pretended to puff up indignantly to lighten the mood.  
  
"Of course not..."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought."  
  
"...though there is that little reoccurring matter of having a heart attack every time I catch you off guard."  
  
"Ouch! That was a low blow, Fei!" he pouted. "Don't get me started on your little 'morality' rants."  
  
"Fine, we're even then," Wufei conceded and before Duo could retort, asked another question. "When are we leaving?"  
  
"ASAP, sooner if we can. If they get a fleet of these things out, then we'll be working our asses off," Duo answered. "I haven't gotten around to totally fixin' Scythe since our last MS battle, and I know Trowa definitely has no ammo for all his little guns and cannons on Heavy Arms. And we have no clue were Heero went off to, so there's no tellin' how long it would take him to help relay the new suits-"  
  
"I get the picture, Duo," he interrupted. "I can be ready within the hour."  
  
"Great, meet me at the truck then and we'll get going." He flashed a grin and ended the transmission.  
  
***  
  
Quatre and Trowa weren't surprised the second time when Duo came barreling into the living room to the staircase. Though the loud crashes and thuds they heard through the ceiling a few minutes later was a bit disturbing. The reason for the noise was explained a while after when he returned with a duffel bag hanging from the crook of his arm, clipping a gun holster to the hem of the back of his pants.  
  
Wufei was already waiting beside the beat up truck when Duo entered the garage, leaning against the passenger side door.  
  
"We're going to have to move safe houses again soon, the base outcroppings are beginning to close in, and that's not good," he said as Duo hopped in on the driver's side and started the truck up.  
  
"Yeah, knowing Heero though, he's gonna wait 'til the absolute last minute to do it too, just to piss the hell out of OZ," he chuckled, keeping his eyes on the rearview mirror as he pulled out.  
  
"When are we ever -not- pissing them off?" Wufei replied cynically.  
  
"True- are you gettin' a sense of humor on me again?"  
  
"Of course...not. I don't know what you're talking about Duo," he snorted.  
  
"Sure..." Duo said doubtfully, shooting him a sly grin.  
  
For a while they were quiet, but it was an easy silence and neither of them was too compelled to work out any nonexistent nervousness. Before long though, they drew a few miles away from the compound and Duo pulled off the road and into the trees, going on until they were about a mile off. He grabbed his duffel from under the seat and took out a black jacket, all sorts of different sized explosives, and the detonator from them all. The inside of the jacket was lined with pockets that were all quickly filled with the lightweight explosives, the detonator going into his pants pocket as he threw the jacket on.  
  
"I think you have enough C-4 stashed away to blow this place to the Moon," Wufei remarked dryly as they climbed out of the truck.  
  
"Can't leave any traces behind, can we? Just bein' careful, geez," Duo rolled his eyes. "Now, the control center is up on the third level and, if I read the schematics right, it should be over looking the lower two floors' hanger, so it'll be the closest room to the stairs. While you disarm the systems, I'll be running around attaching bombs to anything I can so we can 'blow this place to the Moon'." He grinned devilishly. Wufei nodded as they stuck their transmitters on their ears and went off.  
  
The factory itself was enormous, especially in the shroud of night when shadows distorted its shape even if there were spotlights lining doors and dark corners or on security cameras. Standing in front of it, it was two stories tall, but the first level went down under the ground, creating a third floor basement that was only separated from the first if they closed the tarmac over it to conceal the new mobile suits during inspections. There were very few windows, even so, the few there were only gave light to a couple of the top story rooms, the rest of the compound was all sheer cement with no way whatsoever to scale unless you were able to drill holes into it. Two armed guards bearing the insignia of OZ kept vigils at all the entrances and there were hundreds more within that worked on the mobile suits during the day.  
  
Duo and Wufei wasted no time on finding a way in though, they just barged up to the first threshold they found and rendered the guards unconscious, taking their pass cards so they cold get around easier.  
  
"Have fun, Fei," Duo winked as the door slid open and he took out his gun, disappearing inside. There obviously wasn't going to be an inspection any time soon. The tarmac was wide open and there were many half-finished mobile suit skeletons suspending from cranes on the first floor and when Duo squinted down into the basement level he could distinguish a good five fleets' worth of suits in line accompanying together.  
  
"Huh, man, I'm almost gonna feel sorry destroying these MS. They seem like they'd be pretty good contenders in battle and give us a run for our money," he said wistfully as he threaded his way in between the huge manufacturing machinery, occasionally attaching one of his little explosives to one of them and pressing a button to activate it.  
  
"-You- were the one who accepted Heero's mission, Duo," Wufei's voice replied in his transceiver.  
  
"Yeah...but-"  
  
"No 'buts'."  
  
Duo sighed as he started scouring the murky darkness for a route down to the basement landing; his job on the first was nearly done.  
  
On the top, Wufei was just sidling out of the stairwell and into the spacious corridor. It reminded him of the exact opposite of a hospital, though it was just as unadorned and bland as one, it didn't have blinding white floors and walls, everything was dark and rather dismal. With one hand held tightly around the hilt of his katana, Wufei edged down the hall until he came to the entry to a room. He pressed his unhindered ear to the door and not hearing anything inside, he slid the pass card into the panel and found the control center just as Duo had said.  
  
The officer sitting at the security desk was fast asleep; not taking any need at all to the monitors in front of him that would have shown the two pilots infiltrating the factory. Other than him though, there was no one else in the room, which made Wufei extremely nervous because it wasn't all that late at night and he knew there should have been more guards than there had been.  
  
But he had a mission to complete, so that came first. Wufei made the slumbering officer's death quick and painless, then took his place at the security desk to get rid of any evidence of his or Duo's existence in the compound first. Then he would move on to the next computer and eliminate all the files on the new mobile suits. The process easily took less time than Duo's had; Wufei didn't have nearly as much information to terminate and within a good half an hour he was heading into the corridor again.  
  
Back in the basement, Duo's hoard of explosives was at long length beginning to run low as he stood three fourths of the way amidst the colossal humanoid machines.  
  
"Hey Wu, I'm about through down here, so if you get done before me, just wait out front, 'cause I won't be long if this keeps up. I've only run into like ten Ozzies the entire time."  
  
"Well then I will be seeing you outside, because I am-" Wufei's transmission crackled, then filled with the sounds of a brawl, a round of gunshots immediately followed by Chinese obscenities, and at that point cutting off abruptly.  
  
"Fei?" Alarm bells rang in Duo's head. "Wufei!" He hastily threw his jacket and the last of the explosives away and sprinted back to the stairs.  
  
*** 


	11. Chapter 11

Well, in response to popular demand, the Queen of Evil Cliffhangers has another chapter lined up for you all to read! Though it's considerably shorter than the last long-ass Chapter 10, there is good reason! (read the notes at the end of the chapter)  
  
Thanks to all the faithful readers for reviewing once again for my fic! And new ones, because I noticed a few new names in the list of new reviews! ^^  
  
PS: Don't kill me!!! *hides*  
  
  
  
***  
  
Wufei glowered silently at the door to the small windowless room he was in. After emerging from the control center, he was jumped by at least twenty-five OZ officers who didn't play very nicely at all, though he had been able to knock a fair amount out or kill them before they got him. He could feel his right cheek beginning to swell and blood trickled down from the gash at his temple. Half of his ponytail had fallen loose so that long black hair hung annoyingly in his face and since Wufei was tied to a chair, he couldn't do much more other than to shake his head or blow at it, which only made it worse. His katana lay on the ground in front of him tauntingly.  
  
Then would have been the point where he contemplated strangling Duo for distracting him, but Wufei knew it had been his fault for not paying attention. As if in response to his furious glare, the door opened and a women, apparently the commander of this certain operation, entered, looking too smug for her own good.  
  
"So it's true then, we've caught a Gundam pilot in our web," she sneered.  
  
Wufei merely scowled.  
  
"Did you come alone on your little endeavor, or are one of your other pilot friends sneaking around the premises too?"  
  
Again no comment. The commander was getting impatient and it clearly showed as her sneer turned into a frown. "It would be wise to cooperate, boy. Unless you want me to resort to other methods of making you talk."  
  
Still nothing. She mirrored Wufei's scowl and whipped out her gun, training it at him. This time she got a response, but not the one she expected, he chuckled disturbingly.  
  
"Go ahead...shoot me, I dare you." Wufei smirked.  
  
Her expression was mingled with fury and shock, and momentarily she faltered, but it was enough. They heard shouts and guns firing outside the room, then the door smashed open.  
  
Another gunshot.  
  
The commander's eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped in a heap onto the floor. Duo seemed to tower in the doorway with his rush of adrenaline and his gun still held out in aim, but he took a deep breath and deflated, returning his gun to his holster.  
  
"Man, there must've been a zillion of those damn Ozzies out there or I would've gotten in here sooner," he sighed, then regarded Wufei amusedly as he used his katana to cut his restraints. "You look like hell."  
  
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious." Wufei said sarcastically. Duo suddenly reached out and brushed strands of hair away, his brow furrowing in worry as he examined the deep cut and the developing knot. Wufei felt the same jolt like he had in the cabin just as he remembered it when Meilan died in his arms. His heart stopped. Like he had when he kissed Duo the night before.  
  
"The first aid is still in the truck, right?"  
  
Wufei's face went hot under Duo's touch. "I- it should be, unless one of the others took it out."  
  
"Great, now we need to get outta here so I can blast this place," he pulled away with definite reluctance and began to pick his way out to the stairwell.  
  
Watching dazedly for a second, Wufei shook himself and followed.  
  
***  
  
Half a mile from the building, Duo took out the detonator and flipped up the case, pressing the button. The earth trembled and the sky erupted in flames and smoke, the sound still made their ears ring despite the fact that they weren't all too near to factory. But Duo didn't want to hang around to see his handiwork, he were more concerned with getting back to the truck.  
  
Rummaging through the glove compartment and underneath the seats from the passenger side in spite of Wufei's protests that he would be fine, he produced a small white box with a flourish.  
  
"Sit." Duo ordered, pointing to the seat.  
  
Wufei sat down and he smoothed back his hair again gently, he inhaled the pungent tang of rubbing alcohol as Duo pressed a disinfecting pad to the nasty gash.  
  
"OW! Kisama-" he yanked away.  
  
"Hold still! I can't get it cleaned out if you keep movin' on me!"  
  
"It burns like hell!"  
  
"It's supposed to! Now, damn it, hold still so I can finish!" Duo leaned further in and pulled him forward, keeping Wufei still by holding his chin. He blew on the cut gingerly and it stopped stinging almost instantly. "There, feel better?"  
  
Wufei blinked. "Where did you learn that?"  
  
"Sister Helen." Duo let go of his chin and absently started rifling through the kit for band-aids.  
  
"The people at the church, they were you're family before war took them."  
  
He glanced up at Wufei as he spoke, his expression unclear at first, though his shaky hands betrayed him as he peeled off wrappers.  
  
"I know how it feels to lose that, to have everything taken away. Do you remember before we all grouped on Earth, when A0206 was destroyed by the second OZ/Alliance battle?" he continued quietly. Duo only nodded in mute agreement.  
  
"That was -my- home, even though I spent most of my life in boarding schools or being trained by Master O." He paused.  
  
"Why are you telling me all this, Wufei?"  
  
"To balance the score." Without a warning, he smiled. "You know, I was married once. But that was before the -first- fight, when she flew out into battle and sacrificed herself to protect Shenlong. Nataku was too stubborn; she wouldn't listen to me when I said to go home. Then a few days later when I had been sent to Earth, the troops came again and destroyed the colony." [1]  
  
Everything that had happened the night before made much more significance, Duo could see then what Wufei meant when he said he saw himself when he looked at him.  
  
"So that's why you call Shenlong Nataku," he returned the smile, going back to work as he put the band-aids on.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What does she think of us then?"  
  
Wufei held Duo's close gaze for a moment then smiled again, this time with utmost sincerity.  
  
He was going to confine himself any longer.  
  
"I'm sure Nataku will understand."  
  
***  
  
{Help reviewers!!! How far should I take this from here? ^^  
  
Should I leave it all sweet and sugar coated the way it is now, or shall I delve deeper into the beauty of yaoi? }  
  
[1]Wufei's colony being destroyed is only in the anime, not in the manga. At least as far as I know it isn't. ^^ 


	12. Sleepless Musings

Sleepless Musings  
  
***  
  
(Dun worry, the next chapter is coming up real quick, but for now, here's a dose of entertainment to keep you all occupied. It's what happens when your author hasn't had any sleep in about a week. *dies* Damn insomnia...And no, I'm not schizophrenic. May seem like it, but unfortunately no. ^^)  
  
***  
  
DVG: *humming the 'Wizard of Oz' song* Leather and bandage and whips- Oh my! *gets an evil idea* Hey Duo- do ya think I could get away with...*whispers her idea to him*  
  
Duo: *snickers* Sounds like fun...  
  
Wufei: *mind is put in the gutter* *nosebleed* Onna! What new torture are you going to put on us! Haven't we been through enough in your story!  
  
DVG: Of course not, I can make things much worse. *another evil idea* *Cheshire cat grin*  
  
D: *mirrors her grin* I think you should do it. I see no problems in it.  
  
W: *nosebleed is now a miniature of Niagara Falls* How could you agree to such immorality, Duo! I thought you were different!  
  
D: You know you wanna, just admit it...you're just afraid to admit that you wanna- * gets tackled by Wufei and has his mouth covered so he can't talk*  
  
W: Shh! That's -our- little secret, remember?  
  
D: Then how did DVG know about it? Eh?  
  
W: Well, she's the author. It's her sick, twisted mind that this is all coming from.  
  
DVG: You make that sound like a bad thing, Wufei. I'm hurt. *does her version of the Chibi Eyed Pout, though it's no where near as adorable as when Duo does it*  
  
W: It was supposed to sound that way, onna. So- Nyah. *sticks tongue out*  
  
D: *sweatdrop* Fei, you're worse than me...Don't piss her off! She just might decide to use that morbid mind and make us do all sorts of interest- er- HORRIBLE! Yes, very horrible things! Wait, yes, keep on pushin' her buttons...Heh...Just keep on pushin'.  
  
W: *falls over* *twitch* ....  
  
DVG: Heh, get ready to have fun boys. ^______________________^  
  
***  
  
End of Sleepless Musings 


	13. Chapter 12 The End

Ai! Gomen nasai for the long delay! My stupid computer crapped out on me so I couldn't write! So please forgive the long delay! ^^  
  
And I think I figured out what that scientist injected Duo with! There's a hallucinogen that psychoanalysts use to help people bring out troubling dreams from their subconscious to try and figure out what giving them the problems they're suffering from. It's true, I looked in this! So maybe the scientist used a laced version of that hallucinogen or something...I don't know...just trying to give an explanation to those who are wondering what it was.  
  
Thanks to everyone for reviewing, I actually got some sleep after that 'Sleepless Musings'. After I took a considerable amount of cold medicine and painkillers (yes another reason for delay because my head was splitting wide open) of course. But sleep I got! I know a couple of you are probably thinking 'What the hell kinda drugs is she taking?', eh? Don't deny it now.  
  
But yes! This is the end, of this fic at least. Don't worry I'm getting ready to move on to my next little project so this won't be the last you see of me! Buwaha! ^^  
  
Warning: Slight OOCness again. 2x5 and implied (cutely I might add) 3x4. I'm not all too good at lovey-dovey type scenes, so be prepared to giggle your way through Duo and Wufei's little...thing. I know I did while writing it. o0;;; Dun kill meh! I tried my hardest! It's cute! ^^  
  
*hides*  
  
Without further adieu...  
  
  
  
***  
  
On the ride home, Duo drove one-handed with an exhausted Wufei curled up underneath his free arm, every once and a while absently stroking the long locks of his fully let down shoulder length black hair. [1] He had managed to coax the Chinese pilot into doing it; casually pointing out that it wouldn't pull at the lacerations on his face and irritating them on the drive back.  
  
An obvious stretching of the truth (Duo -never- lies!), but he pretended to agree anyways.  
  
It was about late afternoon/early evening when he parked in the garage, checking to make sure no one else was in there as he did so they wouldn't run into an awkward predicament.  
  
Duo hesitated. It seemed a shame to have to wake Wufei; he appeared perfectly content in his own little dreamland. He glanced around outside the truck again to be sure then carefully unwrapped his arm and eased him up in a more upright position.  
  
"Wufei? C'mon, time to get up." He prodded him cautiously in the side and Wufei jumped, wide-awake. Duo grinned playfully in reply to the bleary glare he was immediately hit with. "You can go back to sleep when we get in my room, so dun look at me like that."  
  
The house was silent when they slipped in to the kitchen, the living room devoid of anyone. Upstairs, the door was shut to Trowa and Quatre's bedroom, but the flickering rays of light that escaped from underneath the door indicated that they were there. The hallway smelled faintly of lavender vanilla candles, but not in a bad way, it was actually quite pleasant. Heero hadn't returned yet though.  
  
Kicking off his shoes, Wufei flopped down on Duo's bed as the braided pilot stowed away his duffel bag, reflecting amusedly about the fact that only a little over a week ago he had argued with Heero about having to be teamed with Duo. Now...Now, he couldn't see himself ever going out on another solitary mission alone again.  
  
"Whatcha thinkin' about?"  
  
"Nothing in particular," Wufei smiled up at Duo, who was standing over him.  
  
Duo lowered himself onto the mattress beside him with a stifled yawn and snuggled up close, falling asleep almost at once. Wufei kissed his forehead lightly.  
  
***  
  
Quatre came out of his and Trowa's room pulling on his pink button up shirt and looking around the hall. He had heard someone coming in a while ago, but he had been...preoccupied at the time. Not that he was complaining, because he was perfectly content. And so was Trowa.  
  
As Quatre walked past Duo's room, he noticed the door was halfway opened and figured him to have been the one who came in earlier, not thinking twice about it. He went down to the kitchen and got himself something drink, but as he headed back to his room, Quatre heard not one, but -two- people snore. This he thought twice about.  
  
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but since it had nothing to do with a Quatre, then it didn't stop him from snooping around when his inquisitiveness was piqued. He peered into the room and wasn't very surprised at the sight that met him. Quatre withdrew, shutting the door behind him and continuing on back to his room. [2]  
  
***  
  
When Duo woke up, he found himself alone. Beside him on the bed was cold and appeared almost untouched and the room was empty. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, wondering if everything had been a dream until he saw Wufei's shoes still lying at the bottom headboard where he had kicked them off the night before. Duo glanced over at the radio clock. It was only three in the morning, so he couldn't have gone far.  
  
Just as he was about to get up, right on cue, Wufei came sneaking in, a towel around his bare shoulders and still slightly damp with coming right from a shower, his back towards the room like he wasn't anticipating on getting caught by the braided boy.  
  
"I've really got to give you some lessons in stealth, Fei." Duo grinned widely as he whirled around with the priceless 'Oh shit, I'm busted' guilty look. "Can hear you coming a mile away."  
  
"I didn't think you would be awake..."  
  
"So you thought you'd leave then haul ass back in here before I'd notice."  
  
"No! It's not like that-"  
  
"I was only kidding."  
  
"I knew that," Wufei sniffed but Duo only shook his head amusedly and balanced on his knees at the edge of the bed, beckoning him from the door. Wufei clad in naught but a pair of boxers and the towel was just too tempting to pass up, as a certain part of his anatomy was blatantly pointing out. [3]  
  
"I reported in to Quatre then went and took a shower, if you want an excuse-" he began but Duo put a finger over his lips.  
  
"I don't need any excuses, just tell me that I'll be by myself so I won't be expecting to see you beside me when I wake up..." Duo smiled, removing his finger, and kissed him.  
  
At first he was a bit hesitant, nervously listening out of the room for any sign of movement from the others because all they needed was someone walking in, but Wufei smiled back and whispered, "Don't worry, no one will bother us," as if he could read his thoughts.  
  
Duo grinned. "You always think ahead, don't you?"  
  
"Of course." He gently brushed at wispy chestnut bangs, his fingertips delicately caressing the beautiful American's face as he closed in to steal another kiss from those sweet candy lips. The towel dropped to the floor.  
  
Duo pulled Wufei down onto the bed, engulfed by his fresh scent as if he had just stepped into some long forgotten waterfall in a forest. Didn't know what he used, but making a mental note to ask later, Duo just basked in the glow of suppressed emotions running wild and the kiss deepened.  
  
Somehow in the thick of things, he had gotten his clothes off and they had become a tangled mass of bed linens, limbs, and light brown hair (didn't know when his braid came out either, but it did), both high as a kite in ecstasy. If Duo had never fully realized how powerful Wufei was, he had a pretty good idea just as how much he was then; he definitely wasn't scrawny like him, that was for sure. He liked the feel of tense muscles under his touch, of his inner strength.  
  
On the other side of the spectrum, Wufei didn't find Duo scrawny at all, to him he seem to radiate a fine etherealness that was almost intimidating, he felt as if his existence had been graced with pure luck by an angel fallen from highest reaches of heaven itself.  
  
But to see the same desire, compassion, the same love mirrored in Duo's intoxicating amethyst eyes, to see the same luminescence in his face was enough to know it was real. People force themselves to continue through their entire lives just to see if they could have such moments like this, when they find themselves in someone else, their same soul connecting them as one.  
  
Wufei held Duo closer, tightening his wrapped arms around his slender torso enough to rest his chin on his shoulder under a pillow of silken wavy hair so his mouth was near to his ear.  
  
"I love you, Duo."  
  
Duo's intertwined hands squeezed his tenderly as he burrowed further into his warmth.  
  
"I love you too, Wufei."  
  
_________________________________________________________________ ______________  
  
The End  
  
[1]A bad habit of mine. In English class, a friend of mine sits in front of me slouched down in her desk and uses the top part of my desk as a pillow, and I'm just -compelled- to play with her jealously gorgeous hair and I'm always getting in trouble for it. So I felt like giving Duo one of my bad habits. ^^  
  
[2]My OOCness for this chapter. Quatre always struck me as really being a sneaky little guy, despite being all cute and adorable. Thus explaining his meddling with Duo and Wufei's love life. ^^;;;  
  
[3]Ok, you would have to be -insane- NOT to drool all over that image. Wufei in only boxers...*drool* I know what I'm asking Santa for Christmas, the G-boys in boxers! Buwaha!  
  
*Hides again now that her Author's Notes are finished* Dun kill me! Hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! ^^ Keep an eye out for my next GW fic- 1x2x1 this time around! Angst galore. Of course, look at who's the author. ^^ 


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